Launched in 2024, Vélocité aims to promote cycling usage and culture among Laval residents and organizations. The overall goal is to generate a modal shift from car use to active modes of transportation (cycling, walking, scooters, rollerblades, etc.), in order to accelerate the socio-ecological transition of transportation in Laval.
Changing our transportation habits: a necessity
Changing our mobility behaviours has tremendous climate potential. In Laval, 69% of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions come from transportation. 75% of trips are made by car on the territory, compared to just 7.2% by active transportation (walking and cycling). Yet, the median car trip distance is only 5 km, which means that half of these car trips could be replaced by a 15–20-minute bike ride!
In addition to environmental benefits, adopting active transportation has a positive impact:
- on household and community budgets ;
- on individuals’ physical and mental health ;
- on the design of our living environments, especially by fostering human-scaled urban spaces, calming traffic, and encouraging local commercial revitalization ;
- on worker productivity .
Driving behaviour change means taking action on both structural and cultural levels. That’s why Vélocité includes two main components:
- support for industries, businesses, and institutions (IBIs);
- the organization of Cyclovia days.
Supporting industries, businesses, and institutions (IBIs) toward active transportation
The first component of Vélocité is a support program for IBIs to implement incentive measures that promote new mobility practices within organizations, particularly by guiding them through the Vélosympathique certification from Vélo Québec.
To do this, we offer a free and personalized service to employers who want to encourage active commuting among their employees. Employers can choose from a wide range of actions to motivate their employees to bike to work or include biking in part of their commute. The goal is to guide Laval’s IBIs through identifying and implementing the most impactful actions according to their organization’s scale and budget.
>>> To learn more about the support process, visit our services page <<<
Organizing Cyclovia days
The second component of Vélocité is the annual organization of a Cyclovia day—a first-of-its-kind event in Laval. Originating from Latin America, the Cyclovia concept involves temporarily closing a street to car traffic so that cyclists and pedestrians can reclaim the public space.
With a wide variety of activities, Laval’s Cyclovia will be festive, playful, and family-friendly, while raising awareness about the benefits of active transportation. The goal is to:
- develop cycling education throughout the territory;
- energize the community by creating an opportunity for residents, public, institutional and community stakeholders, and local merchants to connect.
More information on the location, date, and activity schedule for the event will be shared soon!
Funding
Vélocité is funded through 2028 by Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund. The CRE de Laval received funding until 2028 for this project.
Partners
- Association mobilité active Laval (AMAL)
- Cargone
- Centre de services scolaire de Laval
- Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Laval (CCIL)
- Espoirs Laval
- Groupe Promo-Santé Laval (GPSL)
- Laval ZéN
- MOBA
- Pôle régional d'économie sociale de Laval
- Société de transport de Laval (STL)
- Sports Laval
- Vélo Québec
- Ville de Laval
